Doting Mommy Ran
by Amoridere
Summary: A sequel to The Tantrum Phase and it follows Ran as she goes to prove Yukari she can be more than just doting and can be strict, especially when she takes in Marisa Kirisame


Doting Mommy Ran

Ever since the tantrum phase some time before, Yukari never seemed to let me live it down that I was spoiling her. I pointed out that she seems to be doing the same thing with Reimu, to which she responded, "Nonsense! I am merely giving her what she needs, all while keeping her happy and, if Reimu needs and wants donations, then she will have them, after all, she'll be happy. Your overall treatment of Chen needs some work, after all, she threw tantrums and turned you black and blue and hit me in the face with the belt, the latter of which-DON'T TOUCH IT!- is taking an even longer time to heal than your bruises and you still seem to be persistent on doting on her, something that will turn her into a baby and probably contributed to her becoming a spoiled tantrum-throwing hellish demon of a spoiled brat, doubly so, since she's had to have picked that up somewhere and put two and two together and started behaving that way, figuring you'll bow down to her demands, doubly so since she even caused you bodily harm."

I had nothing to say to that and she was right I had indeed been doting on Chen, not even disciplining her for pranking me and causing me to blow up a watermelon in Yukari's face, when I thought she did it. Yukari took care of her but was angry at me for not doing anything, nevertheless, refusing to give me Chen's punishment but warned me not to allow it to happen again. After our conversation and some time later, I stepped forward to provide some sort of guardian for Marisa, Reimu and Chen's unruly friend. Due to the deplorable condition her house was in, I brought her stay with us. I wanted to prove to Yukari I can be more than doting. When she saw me with Marisa, her eyes narrowed and she said, "Well, I never thought I'd see the day. Clearly, you've bitten off more than what it is you could chew." I rolled my eyes, the which she responded, "Okay, I want to see how this will play out."

Chen, on the other hand, seemed really giddy with the thought of having Marisa over, then again, she was like that in general when we had visitors. I left the two their own devices but, in doing so, I couldn't help but to overhear their conversations.

"Ran-shama always gives me what I want, always."

"For reals?"

"Uh-huh, always."

"Shu-weet!"

"Yup, and maybe she'll give you what you want, too."

I heard Chen snickering and I was not amused by that sort of communication. Of course, Yukari was listening and she was just going to prove she was right but I got the word in first, saying, "Okay, you are right." It shut her up and she left the room without saying a word. If my shikigami and adopted child thought I was to give her what she wanted then she was going to have to be wrong and Marisa's head, sometimes I tend to think, is as empty as fine crafted vase, doubly so if she is going to let a young nekomata with the intellect of a human child younger than she is trick her into thinking I am some push over. As I was thinking, Yukari walked back in and said, "Show me." to which I asked, "Show you what?" She walked out of the room and said, "Show me you can grow a spine and be more than just doting."

Naturally, Marisa decided to take Chen up on what she said and decided to try and get what she wants. This naturally began with her trying to obtain cookies and it involved begging and being damn near annoying. I tried to put a resistance and, as I ultimately relented, I heard Yukari's voice say, "_Ran Yakumo, __**DON'T!**_" which caused my hand to retract and place the cookie back in the jar. Almost as if someone took hold of my vocal cords and forced my mouth open, I said, _"No, Marisa, you'll get one for desert."_ She blinked, surprised, and walked away, not even saying a word. I didn't know what had come over me and I wanted nothing but to tell Marisa I was sorry and offer her the cookie, feeling I had done something wrong. Marisa didn't seem to take it too hard and figured desert isn't eaten before dinner. Of course, she never did seem to eat cake before soup first, at least according to Reimu. Chen later attempted the same thing and, once again, I found I couldn't give into her demand. It was like Yukari had some kind of telekinetic hold on me. Of course, she didn't and maybe I wasn't thinking straight, which could be the case.

When I heard Yukari screaming and Marisa and Chen running out house and climbing up a tree, I knew something was up. I could just hear Yukari screaming, "Oh, you went up, well, you gotta come down some time and, when you do, I'LL HAVE YOUR ASSES!" Smelling of urine, she was sitting at the bottom of the tree, not all bothering to gap her way up there. When I suggested mercy for them, she was promptly upset, saying, "_**No**_, they have misbehaved and misbehaving children deserve and _**must**_ be punished for their misbehavior, ergo giving them mercy every time they do something bad isn't teaching them anything, except for to continue with their bad behavior. Now, since we are on the matter of punishment, would you like the newspaper treatment?" I lowered my ears and knew what she meant. I was going to get whacked with a newspaper and I was. I never did like that, since she's first started it. She was waiting there for over an hour, before falling asleep. They climbed down and hurried away, while she was still asleep, but that wasn't without Marisa passing flatulence in Yukari's face, which had the obvious effect of waking her.

She tasted the gas in her mouth and, taking notice to their absence, said, Oh, you went up, well, you gotta come back some time and, when you do, I'LL HAVE YOUR ASSES!" She did have their asses the next day. I wanted no more than to hurry to them and give them some sympathy but Yukari picked up on this and said, "Don't say a word to or even make eye contact, they are being punished and, being that they are being resentful and are acting in revenge, by being defiant, will get over this eventually. _You _were the same way..." She turned her back, sniffed, and said, in a soft and sad voice, "...though I wish you didn't go on those hunger strikes, they always sickened you." She never liked to remember that difficult period in my childhood and for due reason, as she was very lonely before she found me. I do remember feeling rather awful...

* * *

_"Ran, please eat something, please!" she said, her voice growing more pleading by the second. I was defiant this way and it had been a week since I had last eaten. This wasn't the first time but Yukari was going to make damn sure it was the last time. She was upset with me, as I was with her, and neither of us could remember what got me angry at her in the first place, though I do think it had something with the fading red marks from the bamboo switch. Nevertheless, she seemed very upset now and it looked as if there were tears forming in her eyes. I didn't want to eat, even though there was a significant amount of pain in my abdomen from not eating and enough growling that it kept Yukari awake. After pleading, she broke down in tears. Knowing her, I figured she was doing this as a trick but I found she wasn't and her tears were genuine. Usually, a child will have thought they've won the fight with their parents this way but, instead, I felt awful. I made her upset and she was upset because she loved me and wanted only what was best. Weakly, I reached for the onigiri Yukari was holding and it made her stop crying. She smiled a weak smile through her waterfalls of tears and I knew I would never do that again._

* * *

...for ever making her feel so awful. I could be a difficult child then. Of course, I was far less difficult as a child then Chen is or Marisa, for that matter. Since, those two paired up, I know they are going to make hell for me and Yukari, as Marisa is a smartass who does things without thinking (like lying and stealing) and Chen is a brat (I'm not denying this, as she is one) who can and sometimes tends to be an even bigger smartass (also, not denying that) and is smarter than what she tends let on. The two, though with some resentment, got over it. Chen seemed not to trust Yukari very much, as she knew she pulled no punches, and Marisa kept whatever grudge she had under wraps, as Yukari told her, "An ass beating is nothing compared to you getting put through a wall and I don't think about that twice." Not too long after Marisa first came to stay, Reimu fell ill and Yukari went to stay with her until she was well again, leaving me alone. With Yukari temporarily out of the picture, the two decided to go back to raising more hell.

Day and night, minute and hour, night by night, day by day, the two never stopped. Often, Chen involved Marisa in her schemes and vice versa but, after some time, I had reached my wits end. This was it and I pushed to the max. Feeling a rage and in front of all of those villagers, I grabbed Marisa and did as expected. I had spanked her so much and so hard that eggs could be fried on it. Marisa was out of line and I responded thusly and kept at it until my own palm was red. When I was finished, I took a deep breath, slowly walked over to Chen, and, while remembering the hell she put me through, with her tantrum phase said, "Listen, if you _**EVER**_ try to pull that shit again, remember the fact that you can fry an egg on Marisa's glowing red hot ass and the fact that I learn fast and will pull no punches, take that in because that could be your ass that an egg can be fried on. Understand?"

When Yukari came home, Chen asked, "What happened to Ran-shama?" to which Yukari responded, "Isn't obvious? Nothing really except, she had grown a spine and is going to be strict on you when she needs to." This change was to be a permanent one.


End file.
